The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-12-07

In March last we published q bulletin
(No. 24) which outlined i'll some degree the
proposed experiment of feeding good repre-
sentatives of some of the best known breeds
of cattle from calfhood to maturity, under
the same conditions. This bulletin also con-
tanned the breeding of the ten animals Sc
cured for this purpose, viz: two each of
pure bred Galloways, Short Horns, Holsteins,
and Jerseys: one Hereford and one Devon,
with a complete record of the food consum-
ed, daily ration, monthly weights, and gains
up to March 10, 1887
The present bulletin gives the results for
the seven months ending Oct. 10, 1887.
Since the date of the last bulletin, the
steers have been allowed to run in a small
field adjoining the experimental barn, in
suitable weather, but have been taken up
regularly three times day and fed a meal
and hay ration. When kept in stalls they
have been watered regularly three times
daily, and when outside have had free access
to the water tanks. During the early part
of the season they had fair bite of grass
but in the long continued drouth later, they
were entirely dependent On the food supplied
| in the stalls. No account has been made of
the pasture, as all had an equal chance in
| that respect.
In April and May the steers had a small
daily ration of ensilage or roots, from five TO
eight pounds. The meal fed was made up
| of one-thlrd oats and corn ground half and
half, one-third wheat bran and one-third oil
meal, from April to August oath. Since that
date the proportions have been 80 pounds
corn and oats, 10 pounds calf meal and 80
pounds wheat bran,
Some of the animals have made greater
gains than were looked for, others have failed
To reach the weights expected.
1t should be remembered that the animals
were not selected on account of any phenom-
email development; but the object was to get
good dOerdge animals of the various breeds,
feed and care for them well and ecdctly alike,
save i'll amount of food, and see how they
would respond in growth and flesh. Their
answers are given in the following tables
which trust will prove of interest to cattle
men. The tables referred to are too long
for insertion here. Ed.
very greatly regret that we have had but
one specimen of the Hereford and Devon
breeds but circumstances beyond our con
troll prevented our securing them for this
purpose.
The State Board of Agriculture are in
hearty sympathy with this line of work, and
we propose to secure another lot of calves
during the coming summer for another test
Any parties having well bred and promising
calves that they would like to have fed i'll
this way are requested to write me.
While this single test with limited num-
Der of animals does not positively demon
strate the value of the breeds; it is still
hoped that the work is in the right direction
and that number of tests of this sort may
lead to a more perfect knowledge of the feed
ing quality and habits of growth of the diff
ferent breeds, which will be of real practica
value to all breeders of cattle.
1t is our intention to continue the feeding
of these steers tor another year, when the fl
nal results may be compared. Copies of thi'
bulletin and No. "a will be mailed to interest
ed parties on application to the undersigned
SAINT JOHNSON,
Prof. of Agriculture
FARM DEPARTMENT.,
, Agricultural College, Nov. 1, 49,